When actor Matthew McConaughey first delivered his line “Alright, alright, alright” in the film Dazed and Confused thirty years ago, he certainly did not expect it to become a trademark. But in an age when AI can create a convincing voice, face and gesture of a specific person within minutes, the question of identity moves from personal branding into the realm of legal defence.
The US Patent and Trademark Office has approved eight of McConaughey’s applications. They cover audio recordings of his iconic line “Alright, alright, alright” from Dazed and Confused, a seven-second video of him standing on a porch, and a three-second clip beside a Christmas tree. Now he has a tool. If someone misuses his voice or likeness, he can go straight to federal court.
His lawyer Kevin Yorn admitted he is not sure how a court would rule if someone challenged it, but that is precisely the point: to test the system and send a signal. In an age when AI can produce a voice replica with natural intonation from a few seconds of recording, McConaughey simply wants control.
This is not a protest against technology, though. The actor is in fact an investor in ElevenLabs, a company that specialises in AI voice modelling. He has worked with them himself on the Spanish version of his audio newsletter. The problem is not that AI exists. The problem is that anyone can now use it to make a copy without consent.
And deepfakes have indeed become far more sophisticated. According to DeepStrike , their number rose from 500,000 in 2023 to 8 million in 2025. That is year-on-year growth of almost 900%.
Czechia is tackling the same problem
While McConaughey is relying on trademarks, Czechia has opted for the criminal route. Since January 2026, a new criminal offence has been in force: “misuse of identity to produce pornography and its distribution.” This is not a theoretical problem. Czech influencers have already experienced deepfake pornography first-hand. Creating or distributing such content now carries a prison sentence of up to five years. That sounds strict, but the reality is more complicated.
The law, however, so far covers only pornography. A deepfake of Andrej Babiš calling for investment in dubious cryptocurrencies? Legal. The AI tool Grok, which undressed women online? Problematic, but outside the law. Fake AI influencers luring people to paid content with celebrity faces? A grey area.
The AI Act changes the rules
The European Union is taking a different approach. From August 2026, all deepfakes will have to be labelled in a visible way. This applies to companies and professionals, not ordinary users. McConaughey’s strategy uses an existing tool in an area it was not originally designed for. Trademarks were designed to protect brands, not personal identity. Even so, this may be a path for smaller creators too.
No one knows for sure whether this strategy will hold up in the long run. But the attempt itself already has value. For creators it is about more than legal protection. The creator economy rests on trust. People follow a specific personality, their voice and an authentic approach. When AI can produce a perfect copy, what happens to that relationship? And, above all, to a business built on it?
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